Convex pillow configuration

ABSTRACT

The pillow includes at least two substantially identical pillow shell layers secured to each other around the peripheries thereof. Each layer has corner configurations defined by approximately straight, inwardly directed tapered end portions of adjacent edges, which meet at corner points, wherein the angle between the meeting end portions of adjacent edges is in the range of 120°-140°.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to pillows, and more specificallyconcerns a new pillow shell configuration for filled pillows.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional pillow shells, sometimes referred to as pillow ticks,comprise two or more fabric sections which are sewn and then filled toform a completed pillow. Conventional pillow shells have straightlongitudinal and lateral edges, resulting in 90° corners. It isdifficult, however, to completely fill the conventional pillow shellusing conventional mass production bedding filling equipment. The resultis a pillow with underfilled corners and a concave edge appearance, withthe corners eventually looking dog-eared after a period of use.

It would be desirable to have a pillow shell configuration which, whenfilled, results in a pillow with straight-line edges and with completelyfilled corners.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the pillow described herein is a pillow having modifiedcorner configurations, comprising: at least two pillow shell layers,each layer having approximately the same configuration, joined togetheraround the peripheries thereof, or to an intermediate gusset portion,wherein the corners of each layer are defined by a meeting of endportions of two adjacent edges, the meeting end portions taperinginwardly from the remainder of their respective edges, meeting at apoint to define a corner, wherein the angle between the two meeting endportions is greater than 90°; and filling between the two pillow shelllayers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a top view and an isometric view of one embodiment ofa pillow shell with the new corner configuration described herein.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are a top view and an isometric view of another pillowshell embodiment with the corner configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are a top view and an isometric view of another pillowshell embodiment with the corner configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view showing successive fabric layers comprisingthe pillow shell of FIGS. 5 and 6.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a pillow shell with the newcorner configuration. The pillow shell, referred to generally at 10,comprises two identical fabric sections 12 and 14. The fabric sections12, 14 can be of various materials, for example, cotton or similarfabric. The fabric sections each include longitudinal edges 16, 17 andlateral edges 18, 19. Typically, the pillow shell will be generallyrectangular in configuration, although the corner configurationdisclosed herein is useful with other pillow shell configurations aswell. FIG. 1 shows the details of the new corner configuration 21, whileFIG. 2 shows a completed shell, ready to be filled.

Each longitudinal and lateral edge of pillow shell 10 includes opposingend portions, with end portions 20 and 22 of lateral edge 19 beingexemplary, and end portions 26 and 28 of longitudinal edge 16 also beingexemplary.

In the embodiment shown, the end portions of each edge taper inwardly,away from the conventional straight line arrangement, shown in dottedlines, beginning at a selected distance removed from the actual ends ofthe edge. In the embodiment shown, this distance is five inches, but itcould be other distances as well. The end portions are approximatelystraight, although they curve slightly as they taper away from theremainder of the edge. End portions 20 and 22 of lateral edge 19 willmeet or join at corner points with corresponding end portions oflongitudinal edges 16, 17. For instance end portion 28 of longitudinaledge 16 and end portion 20 of lateral edge 19 meet at a corner point 32.The meeting end portions do not define a curve, as stated above, but areapproximately straight lines which meet at a point to define a corner.The included angle between the meeting end portions of adjacent edges,instead of being approximately 90° as in a typical pillow shell, will bein the range of 120-140°. In the embodiment shown, point 32 is located½-inch in from the respective straight-line edges, shown by the dottedlines in FIG. 1. The same arrangement is true for the end portions oflateral edge 18 relative to the other end portions of longitudinal edges16 and 17.

Such a corner configuration has significant advantages. Since thecorners have such a wide included angle, they can be completely anduniformly filled by conventional manufacturing (filling) equipment. Theresult is a pillow which has a straight-line edge appearance whenfilled, without an underfilled or eventual dog-eared corner. The pillowis thus more attractive than conventional pillows and looks completelyand uniformly filled.

As shown in FIG. 2, fill, including both down and/or synthetic materialas well as combinations thereof, are directed into pillow shell 10through opening 36. When the shell is filled, opening 36 is closed bysewing together the lateral edges of each layer defining lateral edge 19to complete the pillow.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a pillow shell embodiment 40 which is similar topillow 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, except with the addition of a gusset member42 which extends around the complete periphery of the pillow shellbetween top and bottom identical fabric sections 44 and 46, which arecomparable to fabric sections 12 and 14 in pillow 10. The cornerconfiguration 45 for fabric sections 44 and 46 is the same as the cornerconfiguration for fabric sections 12 and 14 in pillow 10. Gusset 42follows the corner configuration and is sewn to both the upper and lowerfabric sections 44 and 46. In the embodiment shown, cording 47 can beused along the lines of attachment between each layer 44 and 46 andgusset member 42, although this is not necessary. In construction of thepillow, lateral end edge 47 of layer 44 and upper edge 48 of gusset 42are left separated initially to allow for filling of pillow shell 40.Again, this can be done with various fills, including feathers, down andsynthetic fills or a combination thereof. Edges 47 and 48 are then sewntogether. The completed gusseted pillow 40 has the same completelyfilled corners as does pillow 10.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a further embodiment of the pillow with thenew corner configuration. Pillow 50 includes a gusseted pillow shelllike that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The gusset shell includes an upperfabric section 52, a lower fabric section 54 and a gusset member 56.

In addition, however, pillow 50 includes a top fabric section 58 and abottom fabric section 60 which are typically identical in size andconfiguration to the upper and lower fabric sections 52, 54 of thegusset shell. The upper and lower fabric sections of the gusset shell aswell as the top and bottom fabric sections have the same cornerconfiguration shown in FIG. 1, where the end portions of the respectiveedges of each fabric section taper inwardly to a meeting point, wherethe angle between the meeting end portions at a typical corner beingwithin the range of 120-140°. This results in completely filled corners55 for the pillow shell of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

Pillow shell 50 includes three chambers to be filled. Upper chamber 62is between the top fabric section 58 and the upper fabric section 52 ofthe gusset shell. Middle chamber 64 is the volume within the gussetshell, defined by upper and lower fabric sections 52, 54 and gussetmember 56. Lower chamber 66 is defined between the lower fabric section54 of the gusset shell and bottom fabric section 60. The peripheral edgeof upper fabric section 52 of the gusset shell is secured to top fabricsection 58, while the peripheral edge of lower fabric section 54 of thegusset shell is secured to the bottom fabric section 60. The edges aretypically secured by sewing, but other attachment arrangements could beused. The three chambers can be filled with feathers, down, syntheticfill or a combination thereof. The individual chambers can be filledwith the same fill, different fills or combinations thereof.

Thus, a new pillow shell configuration has been disclosed, inparticular, a pillow shell having a new corner configuration which iseasier to fill and provides a more uniform and completely filledappearance when the pillow is filled.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed forpurposes of illustration, it should be understood that various changes,modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in the embodimentwithout departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined bythe claims which follow.

1. A pillow having a modified corner configuration, comprising: at leasttwo pillow shell layers, each layer having approximately the sameconfiguration, joined together around the peripheries thereof or to anintermediate gusset portion, wherein the corners of each layer aredefined by a meeting of end portions of two adjacent edges, the meetingend portions tapering inwardly from the remainder of their respectiveedges to a point to define a corner, wherein the angle between the twomeeting end portions is greater than 90°; and filling between the twopillow shell layers
 2. The pillow of claim 1, wherein each end portionis approximately straight over most of the length thereof.
 3. The pillowof claim 1, wherein said angle is within the range of 120-140°.
 4. Thepillow of claim 1, wherein the end portions begin approximately fiveinches from the ends of the edges of the pillow.
 5. The pillow of claim1, wherein each corner point meeting of edge end portions is locatedapproximately one-half inch inwardly from a straight-line continuationof the edges of the pillow.
 6. The pillow of claim 1, including a gussetmember positioned between and sewn to the two pillow shell layers,wherein the gusset member follows the edge configuration of the pillowshell layers.
 7. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the filling between thetwo pillow shell layers is sufficient that the filled pillow has edgeswhich are substantially straight and corners which appear completelyfilled.
 8. The pillow of claim 6, including top and bottom layers,approximately the same size and configuration as the pillow shelllayers, sewn to the pillow shell layers and the gusset member, therebydefining three separate pillow chambers for the pillow, one chamberbetween the top layer and an upper pillow shell layer, another chamberbetween the upper pillow shell layer and a lower pillow shell layer, andstill another chamber between the lower pillow shell layer and thebottom layer.
 9. The pillow of claim 8, including filling in the first,second and third chambers.